Penghu Wild Sea Vegetables

Penghu wild sea vegetable is a green algae harvested from intertidal reef rocks along Penghu's coast, available only in winter; according to PTS's "Our Island," yield has fallen by roughly two-thirds over the past decade. Locals gather it at low tide, rinse it, and simmer it into an egg drop soup — clear, emerald green, with a mineral tang from the sea — the most anticipated seasonal home soup of a Penghu winter.

According to PTS's "Our Island" program, warmer winters have caused Penghu's green sea vegetable yield to fall from roughly 800,000 catties a year a decade ago to under 400,000 catties now — a drop of about two-thirds. Local harvesters use a traditional method called "trailing seaweed" (liu haicai), using a curved iron rake and a styrofoam box tied at the waist to gather it from the intertidal zone; colder weather means better quality and higher yield.

What is Penghu Wild Sea Vegetables

Penghu sea vegetables (colloquially called "green sea greens") are green algae growing on intertidal reef rocks, primarily of the Ulvaceae family, with bright green, thread-like branching fronds and a silky, slightly chewy texture. Island residents harvest them at low tide from coastal reefs, rinse off the sand, and cook them immediately. The most common preparations are sea vegetable omelette and sea vegetable egg drop soup; simmering with dried shrimp or small dried fish is also popular. The flavor is clean and sweet with a natural briny, mineral taste. They are a low-calorie, high-fiber health ingredient and the most representative wild intertidal sea food of Penghu's winter.

As reported by PTS "Our Island," Penghu green sea vegetables are a winter-only ingredient — the colder it gets, the more lush they become. The main harvesting period runs from November through March of the following year; in summer, high water temperatures cause the fronds to deteriorate, halting production. The Penghu County Farmers' Association and local cooperatives sell dried and frozen sea vegetable products, allowing tourists to purchase them in any season. The most authentic way to eat them locally is to cook freshly harvested sea vegetables on the same day, when the broth is at its clearest and sweetest; frozen and thawed product still retains about 80% of the flavor and is suitable as a souvenir to bring home to the main island. Sea vegetables need little seasoning — a simple soup is enough to showcase the pure taste of Penghu's ocean.

How to eat it like a local

Local knowledge

Information compiled from the Penghu County Government Tourism Bureau, township farmers' and fishermen's associations, and large volumes of public reviews; sponsored content has been filtered out. Photos will be replaced with the channel's exclusive footage after Dio's on-site shoot.